FAQ – Postgraduate Taught Admissions - School of Law
The University’s online application system for academic year 2027/2027 will open on approximately 1 November 2025. Please see here for more information.
The deadline for applications is 31st May 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
We strongly advise applicants to apply as early as possible.
Admission to our postgraduate taught programmes will be very competitive and may be subject to early closure as a result.
Admission requirements are available here
The University English language requirements are available here.
These English language requirements are minimum requirements and serve as a starting point for admission.
Both the LL.M and MSc Law and Finance programmes are academically rigorous programmes that require a high level of English language competency to undertake academic writing, research and discussions.
We strongly encourage successful applicants who meet the minimum requirements to continue to practice and improve English language competencies prior to registration.
The online application fee for applications to the University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin is €55 per application.
This payment must be made online following the instructions on the application form. The application will not be officially submitted to Trinity College Dublin until the application fee is paid in full.
The online application processing fee is non-refundable and it cannot be waived.
You can apply for more than one programme if you wish. A separate application must be fully complete and application fee paid for each programme. If an offer is extended for each programme applied for, you can only accept an offer for one programme. We therefore suggest you decide which programme you want to follow before you apply and apply for that programme only.
EU fees are based on residency in an EU country. An EU passport or citizenship does not grant automatic entitlement to EU fees. The criteria which must be met to apply as an EU applicant is available here
Postgraduate taught applicants must complete the online application form and upload the following supporting documentation (in English language):
- Academic transcript(s) which must be certified by the issuing body
Note: If you are in your final year of study, you are very welcome to apply with the academic transcripts you have to date. My colleagues will review same and if they deem your application suitable, they will provide a conditional offer which will be based on your final degree result - Certified copy of degree certificate(s) for all completed academic and professional courses (if studies are complete)
- Two Academic References
Note: Nominated referees will be contacted by automated email and requested to complete our reference template and upload the reference directly to your online application. Applicants are welcome to upload previously written references directly, with the consent of the referee. These references should be on official university notepaper, signed by the referee and written within the last 18 months. - Curriculum Vitae
- A recognised certificate of English language competency if English is not your first language (see English language requirements)
- Applicants are welcome to submit additional documentation if they wish. For example, your academic ranking certificate.
Applicants must provide two academic references in support of their application from, for example, from professors at their undergraduate university.
When completing the online application form, applicants are asked to provide contact details for two academic references. When the application is formally submitted, your nominated referees will receive an automated email from Trinity College, requesting them to complete Trinity College’s reference template and upload the reference directly to your online application.
We suggest you inform your nominated referee of this process. Applicants are welcome to upload previously written references directly to their application, with the consent of the referee. These references should be on official university notepaper, dated and signed by the referee and written within the previous 18 months.
References should be priovided by professors at your previous or current university.
Please do not submit references from secondary/high school.
As we are primarily concerned with your academic performance and history, we generally require two academic references. If you graduated many years ago and wish to submit one related professional reference, please feel free to do so. We will review same and confirm if we can accept it in lieu of academic reference.
You are welcome to apply while completing your final year of studies. Please provide all transcripts available at the time of application. If your application is deemed suitable for admission, a conditional offer will be provided (subject to final degree results). Your offer will be upgraded to Unconditional when you provide the required official documentation proving you meet the conditions of your offer.
You are welcome to apply without an approved English language qualification. If your application is deemed suitable for admission, a conditional offer will be provided (subject to obtaining an approved English language qualification). Your offer will be upgraded to Unconditional when you provide the required official documentation proving you meet the conditions of your offer.
For English language requirements, please consult the University guidelines
Students who have studied their entire undergraduate degree through the medium of English and can provide proof of same from University are exempt from providing further English language certification, as detailed here. When applying, please upload document under the "Proof of English language" section on the application.
All documentation must be provided in English language to ensure the School of Law and the University’s Admissions Team can conduct a full review of your application. If your transcript is issued in another language, you will need to ask your university to provide official version in English language or obtain a copy from a certified translation company.
The School of Law seeks to review applications within ten working days of completion of application and provision of ALL required supporting documentation. Upon our review, we will return our recommendation to the Admissions team at the University’s Academic Registry. They will conduct a secondary review and verify all documentation and will then return final recommendation to the applicant via my.tcd.ie
When the review is complete, the University’s Academic Registry will update your application status via my.tcd.ie. An email will be sent to the email address you provide in your online application alerting you to this update. The School of Law cannot provide information relating to your application status.
You can accept your offer upon payment of €500 non-refundable deposit via my.tcd.ie. This deposit will be deducted from tuition fees.
If an offer is made, it must be accepted within 21 days. After this point, it will lapse and will no longer be valid
Please consult your my.tcd.ie portal to determine the exact condition/s of your offer. This offer will be valid for 21 days only.
Once you have reviewed conditions of your offer, you can accept your conditional offer upon payment of €500 deposit via my.tcd.ie. The deposit is non-refundable. However, if you hold a conditional offer and can provide evidence that you failed to meet outstanding requirements, a refund can be requested from Academic Registry.
Please upload official documentation which proves you meet the condition/s of your offer to your application on my.tcd.ie as soon as they are available. The School of Law and University’s Admissions team will review this documentation to ensure it meets requirements. Your application status will be updated accordingly.
Applicants who have accepted conditional offers must provide final documentation in early August (date to be confirmed shortly). We strongly encourage submitting documentation as early as possible but we want to highlight the above strict University deadline.
If an offer is made, it must be accepted within 21 days. After this point, it will lapse and will no longer be valid.
If you have received an offer from the University, you can generate a .pdf of your acceptance letter on my.tcd.ie, under 'Generate Visa/Immigration letter' section. If this does not work providing your TCD application number should work, you can send your request to Admissions at academic.registry@tcd.ie.
The deposit is non-refundable. If you hold a conditional offer and can provide evidence that you failed to meet outstanding requirements, a refund can be requested from Academic Registry
A limited number of deferrals are permitted annually for emergency situations. Requests to defer are reviewed on an individual basis and are not guaranteed.
Applicants who have accepted their Unconditional offer can submit such requests to law.postgraduate@tcd.ie for consideration. Requests cannot be considered from applicants who have not accepted their offer and/or who hold conditional offers.
To officially withdraw your application (after you have already accepted offer), please inform academic.registry@tcd.ie of your withdrawal, copying law.postgraduate@tcd.ie. It is best to include your TCD application number in this email so they can easily locate your application. Feel free to contact us if you require anything further in the future.
Postgraduate Taught students may apply for a number of limited competitively-awarded scholarships annually. Information on scholarships available for 2026/2027 will be available at the following websites in due course:
We appreciate that you cannot pay deposit to accept your offer if you are applying for a scholarship. As our LLM programmes may become fully subscribed, we cannot extend an offer for a lengthy time as we must monitor application acceptances to ensure that our programmes are not oversubscribed. However, if you obtain funding, please contact us with proof of scholarship in due course and we can seek reactivate your offer.
Postgraduate tuition fees are listed here
The University’s Academic Registry administers all matters relating to invoicing and payment of tuition fees. Please visit their website for further details here
The University’s Academic Registry administers all matters relating to invoicing and payment of tuition fees. Please visit their website for further details here
The Centre for English Language Learning and Teaching (CELLT) at Trinity College provides English language support to students through our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programmes. Information on their Pre-Masters Pathway programme and their in-sessional programmes are available here
Please visit the University’s Student Accommodation website for information on campus and off-campus student accommodation here
The Accommodation Advisory Service provides useful information and support to those wishing to wishing to live in private rented accommodation for the duration of their studies here
The timetable is subject to review annually and each student's timetable will vary, depending on the specific modules and dissertation group they are enrolled in.
It is important to note that the LL.M programme is a full-time course - modules and dissertation groups can take place at any stage from 9am-7pm, Monday to Friday. LLM students take three modules each semester and their dissertation groups meet three times each semester. There will be some additional lectures during the year relating to dissertation which students must attend. Please also note that lectures may be rescheduled on occasion though we aim to keep this to a minimum.
The University will publish the forthcoming academic calendar here once it is approved by Council.
Past academic calendars are available for review. Please note they are subject to change.
Postgraduate law students from outside the EU are entitled to take up part-time casual employment in Ireland during their studies (under their student Stamp 1 Visa)
Following graduation, postgraduate law students can apply for Stamp 1G visa, under Ireland’s Third Level Graduate Scheme. This allows Non-EU students to remain and work in Ireland for up to two years after graduation
The following website provides information for Non-EU students on working in Ireland during and after your studies
As the LL.M programme is one academic year in duration, it is not possible to undertake an internship during your studies. However, there are a number of traineeships, internships and prizes are linked to our LL.M programmes:
- ‘Pan-European Seal’ Professional Traineeship Programme, providing paid IP Law traineeships at EUIPO and EPO
- Office of the Director for Public Prosecutions summer internship
- Aviation Law internships
- Publication of coursework on the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland website
As a Trinity College Dublin student, you have access to information, support and guidance from a professional team of expert Careers Consultants at Trinity Careers Service.
Trinity’s Careers Advisory Service (CAS) provide a wide range of resources to help postgraduate law students make informed choices about your future career direction.
Students can access CAS up to one year after completion of studies
- One-to-one meetings with a Careers Consultant
- CV and interview clinics
- Seminars and workshops
- Employer presentations
- Law Careers Fair
All LLM degree courses are taught over one academic year on a full-time basis only. Lectures and dissertation meetings take place at any time from 9am - 7pm, Monday - Friday, depending on an individual student's timetable.
Students must also conduct considerable independent reading, research and writing throughout the year in preparation for their modules, assessments and dissertation.
Given the large amount of reading and research required, the Law School cannot facilitate students to work on a full-time basis and we cannot admit students working on a full-time basis during their studies. We appreciate that students may work on a part-time basis. If doing so, they should arrange work around their modules/dissertation schedule. Allowances cannot be made for students' submission deadlines etc due to employment demands.
Trinity College Dublin’s postgraduate degrees prepare students not only for life as ‘lawyers’, but also enable them to enter many career fields such as business, journalism, accountancy, banking, insurance, politics, foreign affairs and diplomacy and public services. The skills learned through studying law are useful in all walks of life. A law degree teaches students to think logically and analytically. It also equips students with the ability to carry out research, to apply relevant information to problems, to use language precisely, carefully and objectively.
It is important to note that holding a law degree does not automatically entitle one to practice law. In Ireland there are two legal professionals :- solicitors and barristers. Further information is available here